I've been on this planet for half a century. I've worked for over thirty years, and I've contributed to the greater good in many ways both personal and political. Along the way I've played many roles and had many manifestations. Now finally I get to re-create myself for me. Not for an employer, not for the lesbian community or not even for my partner.
As a retired person, I have no one to please but myself. I feel so liberated by this. No more peer pressure. I can dress whatever way I want. I can wear my hair in a way that pleases me. And no longer is the lesbian haircut required for identification purposes as a political activist.
Over the past two years, I've grown out my hair. Many lesbians of my generation no longer ID me as gay. Somehow the "lesbian haircut" made me feel like just another cookie cutter lesbian. I love having longer hair, and trust me it doesn't make me look like a femme either. Kathleen recently joked that I've now become the "Fabio among lesbians." Kathleen likes the longer hair even though she wears her hair short.
Becoming me means being a bit of an eccentric while trendy at the same time. I do Versace eyeglass frames and Birkenstocks in the same outfit. Sound confusing? It's not really. I'm just being me. Not a fashion plate or a political party type. Just me.
